Recorder

ABSTRACT

A recorder includes a block for forming a wind channel at a mouthpiece, said block being made of plastics having a plurality of open, intercommunicating cells so as to effectively absorb the moisture introduced in the wind channel.

United States Patent [191 Yamaguchi Mar. 11, 1975 RECORDER [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Mitsuo Yamaguchi, l-lamamatsu, UNITED STATES PATENTS Japan 3,l78,986 4/1965 Moeck 84/384 Assigneez pp seizo Kabushiki Muller Kaisha, Hamamatsu-shi,

shizuokwken', japan Primary Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin An A r, F Th ,B' h, 6 th' Filed: Oct. 1973 & sogfnegels gen or zrm ompson lI'C au ier [21] Appl. No.: 407,916

[57] ABSTRACT Foreign Application Priority Data A recorder includes a block for forming a wind chan- Oct. 30, 1972 Japan 47-124328 nel at a mouthpiece, said block being made of plastics having a plurality of open, intercommunicating cells [52] US. Cl. 84/380 so as to effectively absorb the moisture introduced in [51] Int. Cl. Gl0d 7/00 the wind channel. [58] Field of Search....., 84/380 C, 384

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FATENTEDMAR] H975 UNSATURATED 5O PO YESTER RESIN RED CEDAR UNSATU RATED POLYESTER RESIN RECORDER This invention relates to a musical instrument, particularly to a recorder.

A recorder consists generally of a head section including a mouthpiece, a middle section connected to the head section and having finger holes that can be opened or closed by the human fingers during musical performance, and a foot section connected to a middle section. The head section has within the mouthpiece a block for forming an air channel, and near one end of the air channel there is provided a fipple for producing a musical tone.

With some conventional recorders, a block for an air channel is made of wood of a relatively high water absorbing property such as red cedar in an attempt to prevent breath moisture from being accumulated as water deposits on the inner wall of the recorder during musical performance. But, the wooden block of such type is expanded, during musical performance, due to breath moisture to cause air channel to be narrowed. For this reason, air is not smoothly flowed into the air channel, resulting in the degradation of musical tones. The recorder having such wooden block is unsuitable for a long, continuous musical performance.

Another recorder has a block for an air channel which is made of solid plastics. With the recorder of this type the block is not expanded due to breath moisture from the player. However, during musical per- .formance, breath moisture is accumulated as water deposits on the inner wall of the air channel to produce a degraded musical tone. For this reason, the player is required to blow the recorder harder during a musical performance or it is necessary to remove such deposits more often by a suitable means.

It is accordingly the object of this invention to provide a recorder capable of maintaining a long, continuous musical performance without involving any degradation of musical tones.

The recorder according to this invention has a block for an air channel which is made of a porous polymeric material having a plurality of interconnected cells. This recorder causes breath moisture from the player to be suitably absorbed in the cells of the block, thereby preventing the deposition of moisture on the inner wall of the air channel and the expansion of the block. Since the block has interconnected or intercommunicating cells and a relatively great volume, a water absorbing property is particularly good. This permits a long, continuous musical performance to be effected in a normal way without involving any degradation of musical tones.

This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a side view showing a recorder of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view showing the head portion of the recorder;

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation showing the water absorbing properties of an unsaturated polyester resin block and red cedar block; and

FIG. 4 is a graphical representation showing the degree of decrease in water content of the unsaturated polyester resin block and the red cedar block.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 a recorder according to this invention consists of a head section 12 having a mouthpiece 11, a middle section 14 having finger holes 13 and a foot section 15 connected to the middle section 14. As will be evident from FIG. 2 the head section 12 has a longitudinal through hole 16 communicating with a corresponding hole of the middle and foot sections. The through hole 16 receives a block or core 17 to define an air channel or wind way 18 therebetween. The block 17 is made of a porous polymeric material having a plurality of interconnected or intercommunicating cells that are open in the air channel, and is attached to that inner wall of the mouthpiece which is opposite to the air channel. Near one end of the air channel of the head section 12 is provided an opening 19 defining a fipple 20.

With this embodiment the block 17 is formed by molding an unsaturated polyester resin composition. The block is manufactured as follows. As an unsaturated polyester resin use was made of a material com mercially available under the trade name of Resistone S-NS (KYOWA HAKKO KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAI- SI-IA). First of all, 50 parts by weight of unsaturated polyester resin was agitatedly mixed with 50 parts by weight of water and 0.5 part by weight of a preselected curing agent and the resultant mixture was charged into a silicone rubber mold and allowed to stand at normal temperature for 1 hour. A formed block was then withdrawn from the mold and dried at C for 8 hours.

FIG. 3 indicates the degree of increase in water content as observed when the block made of unsaturated polyester resin and a block made of red cedar and having a corresponding size and shape are immersed in a lukewarm waterof 25C. In the graphical representation of FIG. 3 the water content is plotted as an ordinate while the time is plotted as an abscissa. The water content of the red cedar block is linearly increased and reaches 25 percent after 24 hours while the water content of the unsaturated polyester resin block is markedly increased particularly at a first stage and reaches 45 percent after 24 hours. FIG. 4.represents the rate of decrease in water content as observed when the block of this invention and the prior-art red cedar block are placed in an atmosphere having a temperature of 25C and a moisture of 65 percent. The ordinate denotes a ratio to the original water contents of these blocks while the abscissa denotes the time. The red cedar block substantially linearly releases its water and maintains a water content of percent after 24 hours while the unsaturated polyester resin block releases its water rapidly at first stage and maintains a water content of 65 percent after 24 hours.

In this way, the block of this invention is very greater in its moisture or water absorbing property and water releasing property than the conventional red cedar block and these properties are markedly exhibited at a first few hours. This means that the block made of unsaturated polyester resin is suitable in a case where a musical performance is effected for a few hours, or a musical performance is resumed after a few hours.

In this embodiment, the state of interconnected or intercommunicating cells and thus the water absorbing and water releasing properties of the block are determined by the amount of water to be added to the unsaturated polyester resin. Inthe above example, 50 parts by weight of water was added to 50 parts by weight of the resin. If water is in the range of 20 to parts by weight, substantially the same water absorbing and water releasing properties will be revealed.

nicating cells.

2. A recorder according to claim 1 in which said plastic material is an unsaturated polyester resin.

3. A recorder according to claim 1 in which said block is molded from a mixture of 50 parts by weight of an unsaturated polyester resin and 20 to parts by weight of water.

4. A recorder according to claim 1 in which said block is made of a foamable plastic material. 

1. A recorder having within a mouthpiece a block for forming a wind channel, said block being made of a plastic material having a plurality of intercommuniCating cells.
 1. A recorder having within a mouthpiece a block for forming a wind channel, said block being made of a plastic material having a plurality of intercommuniCating cells.
 2. A recorder according to claim 1 in which said plastic material is an unsaturated polyester resin.
 3. A recorder according to claim 1 in which said block is molded from a mixture of 50 parts by weight of an unsaturated polyester resin and 20 to 100 parts by weight of water. 